If You Give a Girl a Pen... » Good to Know You

The Importance of Reading

Sarah — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:05:02 +0000

I have four children, and they all love books. My youngest, 5, asks almost daily to go to the library and generally picks out books on reptiles. I’m learning a lot about them and realized that some of this information will come in handy in one of the books I’m writing.

We all know it’s never too early to help a child develop interest in books and learning.

So, what are you reading? Which books draw in your children?

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Sarah is writer looking for an agent. She is currently working on novel # 4, editing novels 2 and 3, and querying novel # 1. For more insight to her work, visit: http://legendoftheprotectors.wordpress.com/ or http://legendoftheprotectors.blogspot.com/

It’s a new year

Sarah — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:43:31 +0000

It’s a new year and we’d love to hear your writing goals. Share your successes from 2010 and what you’d like to accomplish for 2011.

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A Time for Thanksgiving

Sarah — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:26:58 +0000

This is a time for everyone to reflect on what they have in their lives to be thankful for. Often, in our writing, we struggle through the conflicts with our characters. Since this is the holiday season, I wondered, what do your characters have to be thankful for. And anyone who wants to share good news here as well, may feel free.

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Good to Know You

Sarah — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 06:00:07 +0000

Most writers love to read. I’ve noticed through reading, that many characters love to read as well. It must be the book lover in authors.

So my questions to you are: What books do your characters read? Who are their favorite authors? What genre is their favs? What kind of characters do they relate to?

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Good to know You

Sarah — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 06:00:22 +0000

I have found a new love. Indian food. And yes, I mean food from India. I love it. Can’t get enough. While talking to Brenna one day, we started talking about what kind of foods our characters like.

Would my Sam like Indian food? She loves Mexican, hamburgers, and lasagna, but isn’t a huge fan of hot dogs, pretzels, and fish. I think there are some of the Indian foods she’d like better than others.

Andrew would love it all, and very spicy. He loves all things hot.

In the book I’m currently working on, In The Dark, Memphis likes Mac and Cheese, Spaghetti O’s, and pizza, but doesn’t most like pastas. She grew up on the run and ate a lot of Ramon Noodles, so she doesn’t like those at all. She doesn’t eat out much, a quick hamburger here and there, but since she doesn’t date–until she meets Laif–she pretty much eats what her 11 year old son wants. She’s happy with it, since her taste buds haven’t really grown up. I think she’d about gag on most India food, just from looking at it. She’d have a hard time putting it in her mouth. If dared, she would, and I bet she’d love it. Maybe well see.

So, what foods do your characters like? Dislike? Are they allergic to anything?

Play with this and have fun. You might learn something new about those beings running around in your head.

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Are your character’s like you?

Brenna — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:45:23 +0000

I know that a lot of writer’s use their own personality traits in character’s in their book. Jane Austin used her whit with Elizabeth, her loyalty with Ann, her romanticism with Catherine, her hopes with Eleanor.

I am not a great writer such as Jane Austin, she wrote beautiful stories, but I can say that my character’s do have my personality. In one form or another. I am not sure if it is such a good thing. *wink*

I would like to know what personality trait you have that you have given to your characters? I will start. I love being an EMT. I love it so much that I am going back to school to become a Paramedic. One class you have to take is Human anatomy. We have a cadaver lab and I was involved with working with the cadaver’s. In fact our class was lucky to get a fresh one. We got to watch the dissection of the male cadaver. I can touch the cadaver with no problems, but the smell was horrific! I could watch the dissection and help hold parts of the body, such as the heart, liver, and colon, but I could not go home and cut chicken. The chicken grossed me out, not the cadaver. I have one character that is super sensitive about smells and another that is a nurse, but she can’t stand to cook.

I may be extremely weird, but as my teenage foster daughter puts it, that’s how I roll. I like having character’s that are just a bit off, a bit weird.

How about you, what personality traits do you have that you have given to a character?

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Good to Know you

Sarah — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:00:15 +0000

Picture found at www.zorpia.com/rodytvxxx

What is Love?

“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.”
-St. Augustine (from the movie Captain Corelli’s Mandolin)

This is the month of love. It’s sometimes simple, sometimes so complicated, it leaves broken hearts and tears.

What made your character fall in love? Were there many things, or was it simple?

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Good to Know you

Sarah — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:00:48 +0000

All I want for Christmas…

Okay, I want an agent, to be published, and have millions read my work, but this is really about what your characters wanted or received. Even if the holidays don’t happen during the span of time your novel takes place, what would they want for Christmas, Hanuka, or whichever holiday your characters celebrate?

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Good to Know You

Marybeth — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:37:24 +0000

My husband wants a dog. I am not what you would call “a dog person”.

I don’t like dogs. Not even a little. They smell bad. They try to lick you. They jump. They bark. The give your legs some pretty awkward hugs, over and over and over and over again. They drool. They are a lot of work! I’m already taking care of three kids and a husband. I really don’t need to add a dog to that.

My kids on the other hand love dogs, as does my husband, so I’m feeling a bit outvoted.

What would your characters do it their significant other brought home a dog they were not expecting? Are they “a dog person”? If not, why? Is it the smell?

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Marybeth is an aspiring novelist currently working on her second novel. For more information visit her website www.marybethsmith.com. She also has a blog Desperately Searching for my Inner Mary Poppins where you can keep up on her moments as mother, wife and writer..

Good to know you

Sarah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:47 +0000

Marybeth mentioned that she likes things complicated in her novels. I happen to agree. If they don’t shed tears, then why would a reader. So the question is this:

What makes your characters cry?

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